title: Myths and misconceptions about U.S. health insurance.
abstract: Several myths about health insurance interfere with the diagnosis of problems in the current system and impede the development of productive reforms. Although many are built on a kernel of truth, complicated issues are often simplified to the point of being false or misleading. Several stem from the conflation of health, health care, and health insurance, while others attempt to use economic arguments to justify normative preferences. We apply a combination of economic principles and lessons from empirical research to examine the policy problems that underlie the myths and focus attention on addressing these fundamental challenges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. kbaicker@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baicker
authors.forename: Amitabh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chandra
mesh_terms: D003363:Cost Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017047:Cost Sharing; D003669:Deductibles and Coinsurance; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D033161:Government Regulation; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007348:Insurance, Health; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014481:United States; D019472:Universal Health Insurance